74 Tin rf [/-First Auintal Meeting 



FOOD AND GAME FISHES OF THE ROCKY 

 MOUNTAIN REGION. 



BY DR. JAMES A. HEXSHALL. 



In tJie IJoeky Mountain region there are three distinct groups 

 of trout belonging to the Salmo genus: the red-throat or cut- 

 throat, or as it is known by the United States I'ish Commission, 

 the "bhick-spotted trout;" tlie rainl)Ow trout and the steel-head 

 trout. They aro all black-spotted. In widely separated sections 

 of country they may be readily distinguished by certain charac- 

 teristics, but in localities where they co-exist, naturally, it is 

 sometimes difficult to distinguish one group from the others ; in- 

 deed, at one time the rainbow and steel-head were pronounced by 

 competent authorities to be the same fish, the steel-head being 

 supposed to be the sea-run form of the species. At the present 

 time they are held to he distinct. 



The Dolly Varden, or bull trout, Ijelongs to the genus Salve- 

 U)ius, and is related to the brook trout of eastern waters, having 

 also red spots. While the red-throat trout inhabits both slopes 

 of the Eockies, the others named were originally confined to the 

 Pacific slope. 



The great lake, or j\[ackinaw trout, and the grayling are na- 

 tive to Montana. The former is found only, so far as I know, in 

 Elk Lake at the head of the Jefferson river, while the grayling 

 exists, naturally, oidy in the tributaries of the Missouri river 

 above the Great Falls. It is worthy of remark that these two 

 species are found nowhere else west of Lake Michigan, except in 

 the Arctic region. It is fair to imagine that they were carried 

 there on ;iii ice Hoc (hiring the glacial period, and it is not un- 

 likely tliat both six'cics were carried to Michigan waters by the 

 same means, and tbat tlie Arctic grayling is the original species. 



The small Ifocky .Mountain wbitefish ( Coregoiius WiUiani- 

 soiii), is abundant. It is a good game and food fish, taking the 

 artificial fly as readily as the fronts, but is popularly not so 

 highlv esteemed. It grows to about the same size as the red- 



